Signs of worms: symptoms with localization in different organs of the human body. Worms
Symptoms
In many ways, the symptoms depend on the type of worms. Most often appear:
- Lack of feeling of satiety;
- Pain in the stomach and its hypersensitivity;
- Exhaustion of the body;
- Diarrhea;
- Dysentery;
- weight loss;
- Headache;
- Anemia;
- Restless sleep at night and nightmares;
- The presence of dark circles under the eyes;
- Bloating and gas;
- Bad breath;
- The presence of worms in the stool;
- Fever;
- Increased level of irritability;
- Feeling anxious and nervous;
Now let's look at the symptoms, which can more specifically indicate what type of worms have settled in the body.
- In the presence of ascaris and pinworms, you can feel itching in the vulva and rectum.
- With nematodes, eating disorders are often observed.
- Ascaris commonly causes fever, cough, diarrhea, constipation, and weight loss.
- Roundworms can cause pneumonia or intestinal inflammation. They also cause vomiting and nausea.
- With Giardia, a person usually feels pain in the legs and weakness.
Reasons for the appearance of worms
Worms are the simplest microorganisms that, penetrating into the human body, cause various diseases.
According to modern medical research, every second inhabitant of our planet is infected with at least one type of helminth.
On the territory of Russia there are about 20 types of worms, which are classified into the following groups:
- roundworms;
- flatworms.
Among the variety of worms, the most dangerous to humans are tapeworms.
Most often, infection with helminths occurs through saliva through the use of poorly washed products or non-compliance with hand hygiene.
Helminths from the point of view of medicine
Poorly fried, undercooked meat, raw, lightly salted and lightly pickled fish and seafood are the main sources of infection with worms. SES services constantly inspect livestock complexes and fish farms. However, it is necessary to follow safety measures when cooking, subject meat products to proper culinary processing, and strictly adhere to technological standards when pickling or salting fish.
Symptoms of a worm infection
There are the following symptoms of infection with worms:
- itching in the anus;
- stomach ache;
- nausea;
- skin rashes;
- problems in the digestive tract;
- pain in muscles and joints;
- anemia;
- weakness;
- high fatigue;
- decrease or lack of appetite;
- fever;
- convulsions, etc.
It should be borne in mind that similar symptoms are characteristic of a number of other infectious diseases. Therefore, timely medical examination with the correct diagnosis is important.
Medical treatment of helminthic diseases
If helminthic invasion is suspected, appropriate laboratory tests are carried out. They give a general analysis of blood and urine, blood for antibodies, feces for worm eggs, scraping for enterobiasis. To clarify the diagnosis, the attending physician may additionally prescribe ultrasound diagnostics or radiography, endoscopy, tomography.
Against pinworms and ascaris, drugs Pirantel, Karbendatsim, Mebendazole are used. Praziquantel is effective against larvae and adults of tapeworms and flukes. With an integrated approach, along with antihelminthic drugs, antiallergic drugs are also prescribed.
- pumpkin and sesame seeds;
- spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, red and black pepper);
- medicinal herbs (wormwood, yarrow, tansy, horsetail, licorice, calamus, St. John's wort, sage, comfrey, hyssop);
- chanterelles).
There are many different folk methods for the prevention and control of worms, but all of them should be in addition to the main treatment.
Properly formulated herbal preparations help in the fight against uninvited guests. Here is one of the most popular recipes. In equal parts, take the crushed oak bark and buckthorn, tansy and wormwood. Pour 1 teaspoon of collection without a slide with a glass of hot water, wrap well or brew in a thermos, leave overnight. In the morning, after waking up or 40-60 minutes before breakfast, drink half of the infusion. Such a drink, having a mild laxative effect, cleanses the body of freeloaders, restores strength and improves well-being.
Prevention of helminthiases
Modern medicine has made significant progress in the treatment of helminthic diseases. But scientific achievements alone are not enough. It is important for every person to observe the rules of personal hygiene almost from birth.
According to statistics, in developing countries, where the population has a low standard of living and there are no acceptable living conditions, infection with worms is quite high.
A set of preventive measures, in addition to hygiene procedures, implies the following:
- eat well-washed vegetables, fruits, herbs;
- to carry out thorough culinary processing of meat, fish products;
- protect food from flying and crawling insects;
- conduct regular antihelminthic therapy for pets and so on.
Eating well-washed and carefully processed foods, as well as observing the rules of hygiene, will not leave insidious worms a single chance.
Following these simple rules will help maintain a high level of health and improve the quality of life.
In the presence of worms in a person, the symptoms do not always appear, if they do, they disguise themselves as other diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, etc. Sometimes these symptoms are so vague that it can be very problematic to establish the cause of a particular problem, especially when it comes to children.
Let's name some of the most common groups of worms in humans:
- Ringed worms - pinworms, roundworms, whipworm, trichinella;
- Tapeworms - various types of tapeworms, echinococci, tapeworms;
- Flatworms - all kinds of flukes, flukes.
Let us consider in more detail each of the types of worms that can live in the body of an adult.
How can you get infected?
The causes of infection with human worms are very diverse, the route of infection directly depends on the type of worms and their life cycle, it can be:
- eating dirty vegetables;
- non-compliance with the rules of hygiene when cooking;
- poor heat treatment of some food products, especially animal meat and fish;
- communication with pets - cats, dogs, some types of rodents;
- non-observance of hygiene rules before eating, after visiting the bathroom, upon returning from a walk;
- swimming in contaminated waters.
In the course of their life activity, worms produce toxic substances that are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing harm to the most important organs and systems.
With the onset of an acute period of helminthiasis, the worms are taken to eat heavily in the intestines of a sick person, causing various signs of a digestive system disorder: diarrhea.
Let's see what signs of helminths can be noted? We list the most common, common symptoms of worms in humans.
Symptoms of infestation with worms can appear at different times from the moment of infection with worms. So, the first symptoms of ascariasis appear after 2-3 days. With most of all other helminthic invasions, the symptoms of the disease appear after 2-3 weeks.
Most often, the main signs of infection with worms in an adult are allergic manifestations in the form of itching and rash, swelling, weakness, muscle pain, headache, fever, muscle and joint pain, etc.
self test
Test for the determination of a possible helminthic invasion
To determine the worms in the body, you need to answer the following questions and count the number of positive answers:
- There is bitterness in the mouth;
- Rapid fatigue, constant fatigue;
- Work in a children's institution or in the family there are children of preschool age;
- There is an unmotivated increase in body temperature;
- Yellow skin and mucous membranes;
- Periodically or constantly there is itching in the anus;
- There are rashes on the skin;
- Often there is a headache, dizziness;
- There is nausea, or nausea, vomiting;
- Often there is bloating, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea;
- Restless sleep, insomnia, screams in sleep;
- Allergic reactions - bronchial asthma, allergic cough;
- Enlarged lymph nodes;
- There are pains in the abdomen, self-stopping;
- Working with animals or having pets;
- There are muscle and joint pains without load;
- You snore or grind your teeth at night
- Like to eat meat with blood, dried fish, lard with streaks of meat, sushi;
- Your weight has decreased against the background of a decrease or, on the contrary, an increase in appetite;
- You often eat raw fruits, vegetables, greens, berries, not washed or scalded with boiling water before eating.
If there are seven positive answers, then there is a possibility of the presence of worms in the body. If there are more than 15 positive answers, then the probability of invasion is high. This is an unequivocal reason for contacting a specialist and conducting a high-quality diagnosis.
So, to pass the analysis, you will need a container for collecting material and a spatula. If a person sees fragments of worms or a whole helminth, then he must also be sent to the laboratory.
To diagnose enterobiasis, scrapings are taken from the perianal folds, since female pinworms lay their eggs in this area. Before the analysis, you should not wash yourself for about 12 hours or go to the toilet. Therefore, the optimal time to perform the analysis is in the morning hours.
Scraping is performed using a cotton swab, which is placed in a clean container and delivered to the laboratory. You can also use sticky tape, which is peeled off the glass, attached to the anal area for a while, then torn off and returned again with the sticky side to the glass.
If there is a worm in the feces, then most often it looks like a white strip of various lengths. Worms can remain mobile. The type of worm can be determined in the laboratory.
To identify worms in the blood, an immunological study is used, determining antibodies to the main types of helminths in it. The reliability and accuracy of the ELISA is equal to 95%. It can be used to detect extraintestinal forms of helminthiases.
In both cases, more in-depth diagnosis and specific treatment will be required.
Treatment of worms in humans
The basis for the treatment of worms in humans are specific, adults are prescribed the best time-tested tablets, such as pyrantel, mebendazole, albendazole, carbendacim.
The choice of drug in the treatment depends on the presence of specific worms in the human body. In the acute period of the disease, the doctor may prescribe anti-allergic drugs to the patient, such as suprastin or claritin.
The most popular pills on the market that can remove worms from a person:
- (the best remedy for trichuriasis and enterobiasis);
- (most active against echinococcus larvae and nematodes);
- and other broad-spectrum drugs containing mebendazole;
- and other broad-spectrum drugs containing Levamisole;
- Praziquantel (the best tablets for cestodoses and trematodes).
Only on the basis of tests, diagnosis, the doctor prescribes the treatment of worms in humans, since antihelminthic drugs are quite toxic. If the worms are found again during the analysis, then the specialist determines how to remove the worms, suggesting a new treatment regimen based on the use of other tablets for worms that will better cope with the task.
How to treat worms folk remedies
Folk methods of treatment include medicinal plants with anthelmintic, laxative effects. Although the effectiveness of these remedies has not been scientifically tested, many of them have been used since ancient times to treat worms in humans at home.
As for prevention, in order to prevent helminthic invasion, it is necessary to wash hands with soap after returning from the street, heat-treat meat and fish, do not drink raw water and do not swim in polluted reservoirs.
Prevention is the best cure
Due to the toxicity of antihelminthic drugs, prophylactic medication is not prescribed without a serious reason. A sufficient basis for treatment may be the detection of worms in pets or one of the family members. It is also mandatory to strictly observe the rules of hygiene:
- Change underwear 2 times a day.
- Boil and iron underwear and bedding with a hot iron.
- Wash and disinfect hands thoroughly after using the toilet and intimate hygiene.
- Do wet cleaning in the house daily, use disinfectants (especially in the bathroom and kitchen).
To protect yourself, you need to understand why worms appear in humans and what are the ways of transmission of infection. This knowledge gives an idea of possible preventive measures and ways to solve the problem.
Enterobiasis
The most common disease enterobiasis can be found everywhere. Pinworm - a thin white worm, about 1 cm in size, affects the human intestine.
Eggs remain viable in the environment for up to 3 weeks. They live in water, moist soil, on the surface of vegetables and fruits, surrounding objects, clothes and linen. Most often, enterobiasis is fixed in areas with a temperate climate.
Ascariasis
Ascaris - a round worm from light yellow to brown, 25-40 cm long, lives in the intestinal section of the gastrointestinal tract.
Has a ubiquitous distribution. Worms of the roundworm family infect many domestic animals: cats, dogs, pigs, horses and birds. Worm eggs can persist in the external environment for a long time. Under favorable conditions (sufficient levels of heat and moisture), infective larvae mature in them, which hatch in the body of the host.
trichuriasis
Most common in warm tropical climates. Most of the infections are in rural areas.
Hymenolepiasis
The difficulty of treatment is associated with the likelihood of self-infection (autoinvasion). The infection is ubiquitous.
The geographical location of the foci of the distribution of worms transmitted through fish is as follows:
- opisthorchiasis (a flatworm, 0.5 to 2.5 cm, affects the gallbladder and ducts) - Urals and Siberia (nationally 25,000 cases per year);
- anisakida (a worm larva affects a person; dimensions - 1-3 cm; harms the digestive organs, causes severe skin reactions) - regions with access to the northern seas;
- wide tapeworm (tapeworm, 10-12 m, inhabits the intestines, the disease is diphyllobothriasis) - Yakutia, Khakassia, Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.
Echinococcosis
Severe illness is most often recorded in Karachay-Cherkessia, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Orenburg Region. More than 500 cases of infection are recorded in Russia annually.
Trichinosis
The sexually mature worm lives in the small intestine, the larvae live in the muscle cells of various organs. In Russia, the largest foci of the disease have been identified in the Siberian and Far Eastern federal districts. About 200 cases of infection are registered per year.
In the post-Soviet space, outbreaks were noted in the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova and Kazakhstan.
Where do worms come from in humans?
Geohelminthiases
From the ground, the infection enters the water. Infection can occur when eating poorly processed vegetables and fruits that have contact with the soil. As a result of drinking contaminated water or products washed with it. The infection is transmitted through untreated aquatic plants eaten.
Invasive pinworm and pygmy tapeworm eggs are viable in the environment. They can be on the skin and nails of the patient, spread through household items, clothing, bedding, towels. Occasionally, infection occurs by inhalation of contaminated dust in the room. Ascaris eggs can be transferred to food by insects that have previously been on an infested surface.
Vlasoglav is able to live in the soil for several months. Infection with this type of helminth also occurs through unwashed food, dirty hands. Eggs are found in sewers. Invasion can occur through accidental ingestion of water while bathing.
Infection contributes to the violation of the rules of personal hygiene, which explains why worms appear in children more often than in adults.
Additional factors are: poor-quality processing of fruits and vegetables, the presence of insects that can carry the eggs of worms, close contact with animals moving freely along the street.
A person becomes infected by eating insufficiently processed meat, fish and seafood.
The course of the disease is divided into acute and chronic stages. The early (acute) stage appears 1-6 weeks after infection, sometimes after several hours. The immune system reacts to the introduction of a foreign body. There are skin rashes, swelling of the face, conjunctivitis, fever, nervousness, loss of appetite, dyspeptic disorders. The lymph nodes are enlarged. Mechanical vacuum causes local inflammation. In the blood there is a significant increase in the level of leukocytes and eosinophils.
In the absence of treatment or its ineffectiveness, the disease passes into the chronic stage after 2-4 months. The severity of the course is characterized by the degree of invasion and the biological characteristics of the development of the helminth.
In the larval form of the disease (toxocariasis - the causative agent of cat or dog roundworm; trichinosis; echinococcosis), allergic skin rashes will persist for a long time. Larval (larval) helminthiasis is considered the most severe and difficult to treat disease. Any organ can suffer. Most often lungs, liver, brain, eyes.
The following symptoms develop:
- liver damage leads to disturbances in the hematopoietic system, anemia, weakness, pallor of the skin;
- brain - CNS depression, epilepsy, mental disorders;
- eyes - weakening of vision, blindness.
The spread of helminths to the biliary tract is accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium, lethargy, chronic fatigue, and decreased ability to work.
To prevent infection, first of all, you need to follow the rules of hygiene. Teach children to wash their hands immediately after walking and going to the toilet. Do not neglect the processing of raw vegetables and fruits. Fry the fish under the lid for at least 30 minutes, and the meat for an hour. Do not use products of dubious quality.
Young children are at particular risk. Therefore, it is important to monitor the cleanliness of the objects around them. Avoid licking items picked up from the floor. Prevent contact with street animals.
Signs of worms in humans are varied. The presence of helminths can be manifested by constant pain in the stomach, bloating, nausea and vomiting. Some people do not have such negative symptoms, but skin rashes appear that cannot be eliminated. Quite often, helminthic invasion is expressed by sudden allergic reactions.
When infected with worms, symptoms of pathologies of the liver, stomach, intestines and gallbladder appear. Often in adults there is a skin rash and irritation. A person can be treated for certain diseases for years, and after a course of anthelmintic drugs, he fully recovers.
How can you get worms
There are 4 ways of infection:
Most often, infection occurs by direct ingestion of helminth larvae. Contaminated water, unwashed hands after working with the earth, poorly processed meat - all this can cause helminthic invasion. Often a person becomes infected by drinking contaminated water, swimming in reservoirs or collecting it from wells.
Symptoms of the appearance of helminths
The manifestation of helminthiasis in humans can vary. Symptoms that occur in people who have a severe infection:
- Exhausted look.
- Weight loss.
- Pallor.
- Itching in the anus.
Malfunction of the gastrointestinal system
- Diarrhea or, conversely, constipation.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pain in the intestines.
- Bloating.
- Sudden loss or, conversely, weight gain.
Symptoms can be either mild or vice versa. Certain types of helminths secrete substances that cause diarrhea. Large worms can block the intestines and cause constipation.
Important! Due to the constant release of waste products, a person feels all the signs of intoxication - nausea, vomiting, and general weakness are observed.
Weakened immune system
Problems of the nervous system
Important! Due to the constant lack of useful elements, chronic fatigue syndrome, anemia and constant irritability develop.
Respiratory system diseases
When worms enter the respiratory system, it is damaged. Perhaps the development of chronic lung diseases, frequent bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. A persistent runny nose can also be one of the signs of infection.
Skin diseases
Symptoms of helminth infection can be different:
- Cracks in the heels.
- Skin itching.
- Lamination of nails.
Very often, a person begins to experience allergic skin reactions that cannot be treated. Due to the violation of the absorption of useful elements and vitamins, the appearance suffers in the first place. The skin may begin to age prematurely and become pale in color.
Symptoms of infection depending on the type of helminths
Symptoms of infection with certain helminths depend on the number of individuals in the body, human immunity and localization. Some types of helminths, for example, ascaris, after a few days can cause a general deterioration in well-being, and filariasis have an incubation period of about a year.
Roundworm
These types of helminths often disguise themselves as various diseases of the internal organs. The body temperature rises, the person suffers from coughing and is in a tired state. A strong helminthic invasion can provoke bronchitis or pneumonia.
After the helminths infect the intestines, all the symptoms of a metabolic disorder appear. The person begins to lose weight. Perhaps the development of intestinal obstruction and jaundice. There is a severe headache, the person becomes irritable and may become depressed.
Trichuriasis, schistosomiasis, diphyllobothriasis, ankylostomiasis
Violate metabolism and can cause the development of dysbacteriosis. Due to the constant lack of nutrients, beriberi is observed. Anemia may develop.
Pinworms
Severe anal itching at night is added to the main symptoms of helminthic invasion. If there are not many helminths, itching may disappear for a while, and then reappear. In severe forms of infection, itching is observed constantly.
Video - Ascaris worms inside a person, symptoms, treatment and consequences
trichinosis
There are muscle pain and swelling. Fever may develop.
Fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, clonorchiasis
Dangerous types of helminths that disrupt the liver and can manifest all the symptoms of jaundice. The work of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted and the liver is significantly enlarged.
Urogenital schistosomiasis
Type of helminths that affect the genitourinary system. The main symptom is the appearance of blood at the end of urination.
Tissue worms can live in human organs and tissues. Depending on the location of their localization, symptoms of a particular disease appear. For example, helminths that are in the liver can cause symptoms of hepatitis or other damage to an important organ in a person, and bronchitis or pneumonia in the lungs.
The most common helminths
At the moment, more than a hundred types of worms have been identified that can live in the intestines and internal organs. The most common helminths that people often infect are pinworms. Also in our country, people are susceptible to infection with dwarf tapeworm, tapeworm and hookworms. Other types of helminths:
- Vlasoglav.
- Paragonimiasis.
- Cysticercosis
You can determine the presence of helminths and establish their type by analyzing feces. If no helminth eggs are found during the first examination of feces, but there is a high risk of infection, it is recommended to repeat the analysis several times.
Important! You can get a reliable result when determining helminths using an enzyme immunoassay, but it is not carried out in all medical institutions.
- Have pets or work related to them.
- Employees of medical and children's institutions.
- Work related to food and service.
Treatment
After the eggs are found in stool tests, the doctor prescribes drugs that are effective against a certain type of helminth. Self-medication is not worth it, since anthelmintic drugs are highly toxic and negatively affect internal organs.
Usually, taking pills is enough to treat helminths. In case of an exacerbation of the disease and a large number of individuals, treatment with injections and infusions can be prescribed.
Important! Most drugs act only on adults, which requires an additional course of treatment due to the presence of larvae in the body.
The most common drugs:
| Name | Image | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Vermox | Effective against pinworms, whipworms, roundworms, hookworms, hookworms and tapeworms. The active substance is mebendazole | |
| Pirantel | Applied with necatorosis, ascariasis, enterobiasis, ankylostomiasis. Active ingredient: pyrantel pamoate | |
| Decaris | Indications: ascariasis, ankylostomiasis. Active ingredient: levamisole hydrochloride | |
| Nemocide | It is used in the treatment of ankylostomiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis, necatoriasis. Active ingredient: pyrantel pamoate |
|
| pirkon | Used for enterobiasis. Active ingredient - Pirvinia embonate | |
| Gelmodol | Effective in the treatment of most types of helminths. Active ingredient - albendazole
It is very difficult to protect yourself from infection with helminths. Each person can have a helminthic invasion and not know about it, and the transmission of helminths is possible by contact. Often, pets become infected with helminths during walking or contact with other individuals.
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